(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reset system for outboard engines for small crafts, water bikes and the like, which allows for resetting of predetermined control data such as oil change time, etc.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The oil change time display function provided for an outboard is to inform the user of the proper time for changing oil. This function will warn the user of the time for changing oil using an LED or buzzer when the cumulative run time from the last oil change exceeds the standard oil change time designated in advance, by continuously comparing the former with the latter. It is therefore necessary after changing oil to reset the operating time data, stop the LED warning or buzzer warning and restart the integration of operating time in order to estimate the next oil change time.
However, the conventional outboard motors have no well-established way of resetting control data for maintenance. It is necessary to implement a test operation of the outboard motor before shipment and reset the integrated time data for changing oil after an oil change work has been performed or the like, on the market side which includes dealers, shops and maintenance workshops, or by user's side.
Therefore, it has not been easy for dealers and others to implement a resetting operation and hence the conventional configuration has the drawback in that control for maintenance is constrained. Further, provision of an extra switch for the resetting operation gives rise to a cost disadvantage.
As seen in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Hei 10 No.38605, data reset for resetting the cumulative time for management of the engine oil and the like in an overland vehicle is implemented by input of reset information through an individual reset button. Since an outboard motor is used on a boat and hence must be compact, the outboard needs to be configured so that it can be operated as simply as possible without any increase in the number of parts. However, no such a configuration has been proposed up to now in the outboard field.
Further, in an outboard engine which memorizes the information of sensor trouble and displays the fact of the sensor trouble when a sensor on the engine malfunctions, the display of the sensor trouble will continue even after the user's cognition of the trouble until the sensor is repaired. So the display comes to be troublesome, and there has been no way of removing the confusion, or resetting the trouble information.